Plasma-derived blood products are used to treat not only a variety of blood disorders, but diseases of other origin. For example, immune globulin (IgG) products from human plasma were first used in 1952 to treat immune deficiency. Since then, IgG preparations have found widespread use in at least three main categories of medical conditions: (1) immune deficiencies such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia, hypogammaglobulinemia (primary immune deficiencies), and acquired compromised immunity conditions (secondary immune deficiencies), featuring low antibody levels; (2) inflammatory and autoimmune diseases; and (3) acute infections.
Likewise, Factor H has been implicated as a potential therapeutic agent for several human disease states, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). Specifically, a causal relationship between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in complement control protein (CCP) module 7 of Factor H and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been characterized.
Studies have shown correlations between decreased plasma levels of Inter-alpha-Inhibitor proteins (IaIp) and mortality in patients with severe sepsis (Lim et al., J Infect Dis. (2003) September 15;188(6):919-26 and Opal et al., Crit Care Med. (2007) February; 35(2):387-92). Furthermore, several studies have shown that the administration of IaIp reduces mortality associated with sepsis and septic shock (Jourdain et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med. (1997) December; 156(6):1825-33; Yang et al., Crit Care Med. (2002) March; 30(3):617-22; Lim et al., J Infect Dis. (2003) September 15;188(6):919-26; and Wu et al., Crit Care Med. (2004) August; 32(8):1747-52; the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties for all purposes).
Various safety precautions must be taken into consideration when manufacturing and formulating plasma-derived biologic therapies. These include methods for removing and/or inactivating blood borne pathogens (e.g., viral and bacterial pathogens), anticomplement activity, and other unwanted contaminants arising from the use of donated plasma. Studies have suggested that administration of high levels of amidolytic activity may result in unwanted thromboembolic events (Wolberg A S et al., Coagulation factor XI is a contaminant in intravenous immunoglobulin preparations. Am J Hematol 2000; 65:30-34; and Alving B M et al., Contact-activated factors: contaminants of immunoglobulins preparations with coagulant and vasoactive properties. J Lab Clin Med 1980; 96:334-346; the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes). Highlighting this concern was the recent voluntary withdrawal of Octagam® (Octapharma) in the US and suspension of marketing authorization for Octagam® and octagam 10% by the European Commission following increased reports of thromboembolic events. It is likely that the increased thrombolic events were caused by high levels of amidolytic activity in the biologic, caused by serine protease and serine protease zymogen impurities, such as Factor XI, Factor XIa, Factor XII and Factor XIIa (FDA Notice: Voluntary Market Withdrawal—Sep. 23, 2010 Octagam [Immune Globulin Intravenous (Human)] 5% Liquid Preparation; Octagam 50 mg/ml, solution pour perfusion—Octapharma France—Mise en quarantaine de tous les lots, published online Sep. 9, 2010 by the AFSSAPS; and Questions and answers on the suspension of the marketing authorisations for Octagam (human normal immunoglobulin 5% and 10%), published online Sep. 23, 2010 by the European Medicines Agency).
Dedicated serine proteases, generically known as coagulation factors, are integral components of both the contact activation and tissue factor pathways of the coagulation cascade. Upon a stimulus of the coagulation pathways, serine protease zymogens, which are inactive enzyme precursors, become activated proteases that catalyze the activation of the next protease zymogen, resulting in an activation cascade. This coagulation cascade culminates in the activation of Thrombin (Factor IIa) and Factor XIIIa, which function to convert Fibrinogen (Factor I) into Fibrin (Factor Ia) and cross-link fibrin to form a fibrin clot, respectively.
The contact activation pathway, also known as the intrinsic coagulation pathway, begins with the activation of Kallikrein and Factor XIIa (FXIIa) from Prekallikrein and Factor XII, respectively. The activated serine protease FXIIa cleaves Factor XI (FXI), converting the zymogen into Factor XIa (FXIa), an active serine protease which participates in the subsequent activation of Factor Xa (FXa).
Due to rising concerns over the presence of serine protease and serine protease zymogens in plasma-derived protein compositions, there remains a need in the art for methods for reducing the levels of these contaminants, and particularly FXI, FXIa, FXII, and FXIIa. The present invention fulfils these and other needs by providing such methods and plasma-derived protein compositions with reduced levels of serine protease and serine protease zymogen.